New hours for DHS and AK???

[theemster]

My sister is a CM and she told me about the changes at LTT and Garden Grill before they were posted on these message boards. So what I am about to say may hold truth to it and if it's already been posted then I apologize...

She told me that coming in a few months AK and DHS will be closed certain days of the week due to budget cuts and other financial things. She said this is pretty much for certain, but Disney is not sure on what days of the week yet. I realize this is really yucky for people who like to go during the off season. This is all the specifics she had heard so far and if I hear anything else I will add it to this post.

 

[crazy4wdw]

It's been rumored for several weeks that Disney is looking at this option as bookings are down beginning in January. Other "rumored" plans that Disney has in case attendance plumets next year are shorter theme park hours (parks opening at 10:00 am, closing at 6:00 to 7:00 PM) and only running Wishes and Illuminations on weekend nights. I wonder what compensation Disney would have to provide to cooperate sponsors of attractions at DHS and AK? I can't imagine that Landry's would be happy about AK being closed several days a week. They just invested in the new Yak and Yeti restaurant at AK.

 

[SheilaHeartsDisney]

This would be really stupid!!!!!

 

[tomerin]

i can see shorter hours and fireworks cutbacks but closing of the parks really wouldnt work. if i was going to WDW and saw they were closing a park for even one day while i was there i would seriously consider canceling my vacation. when i go to wdw i want to have the whole experience not just 3/4 of one.

i would guess that even if a park is closed the cost of maintaining that park, like AK, is
still significant so if it is open at least they have a chance of making some money to offset the operational costs.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Jim Hill reported on this about a week ago. I can't see it happening, personally.

 

[Jason71]

i would guess that even if a park is closed the cost of maintaining that park, like AK, is
still significant so if it is open at least they have a chance of making some money to offset the operational costs.

I tend to agree. I think between higher maintenance costs and bad PR (you know this plan would make national news), I think it is far more likely they shut down a hotel or two.

 

[amw]

I can see them cutting back the hours. We went to DLR in the off-season, and MK was open 10-8 and DCA was open 10-6. HOWEVER, if WDW decides to close parks on alternate days, Disneyworld loses its resort "destination" status. I think they'll lose onsite bookings as people look for other things to do in Orlando. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me ... not that Disney decisions are based on common sense

 

[paulh]

Jim Hill reported on this about a week ago. I can't see it happening, personally.

if JH says it will happen,it wont
Paulh

 

[bennyb98]

Why do I have the horrible feeling that something like this might actually happen? I don't see it happening any time soon but I can see park officials considering it, they would probably wait a bit and see how attendance numbers actually are before doing anything that drastic. I think it would be horrible as it would make DHS or DAK even more crowded on the days they are open, taking away the reason to even go in the off season.

 

[patsal]

I wouldn't say they would not do this, but it makes more sense to cut back on park hours--if attendance is down you don't need the parks to be open as many hours to accomplish the same thing, cutting shows back to certain days of the week only and dropping the fireworks and night time parades--they didn't used to do this as frequently anyway--they were kind of seasonal with certainty at heavily booked times. Once the crowds became steady and there were fewer and fewer slow times then the fireworks and nighttime parades became a more frequent thing.
If bookings are down then I could see them going back to what they did post 9/11 and close down moderate resorts and deeply discount everythng.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Doesn't seem worth it to close AK. Reduce the offerings inside the park, yes. Not so many food carts, not so many live shows, being open perhaps 6 or 7 hours a day (whatever it takes to limit CM's to an 8 1/2 hour work day). The animals will require maintenance whether the park is open or not.

The studios are something different tho'. It would be a great opportunity to refresh that park. As much as I enjoy the thrill rides in that park, closing it to do renovations and maybe reimagine some areas could be a worthwhile investment for future years in what looks to be a slow time.

Obviously closing some of the resorts would be a good idea too.

 

[mitros]

I don't believe Disney has ever closed any of it's parks here in Florida. Even after 9/11, they curtailed hours, and the parks were very sparsely attended in the earlier times of the day, but they never closed any of them, and attendance, as everyone knows, was way down for several years after that horrific event. So I really doubt that Disney will close a theme park..........
OK, wait, I stand corrected, they did close the parks for the first time, I recall, during the threat of a direct hit by a hurricane back in 2004, but never due to "slow" business periods.

 

[DisFlan]

Here's my guess...if things get bad enough, I'd expect Disney to do whatever it takes to keep the resort as a whole operating - with whatever scale backs that would entail. Late hours would probably be the first to go, then fewer park hours in general. And possibly fewer offerings in the parks - like fewer restaurants/CS open or with shorter hours, fewer carts, and live shows cut back. I'd think actually closing a park would be the LAST thing they'd want to do. Closing sections of the hotels would likely come before park closings.

The hard ticket events like MNSSHP, MVMCP and PPP require a certain number of paid tickets to remain viable. If the numbers don't hold up, we'd likely see far fewer of these offered.

I'll also hazard a guess that free dining in its current form will come to an end. Food is no longer cheap enough to give away on the scale it's been offered for the last few years. If it's offered at all, it'll probably be replaced by a much more scaled down plan - along with deep/deeper room discounts.


DisFlan

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Jim Hill reported on this about a week ago. I can't see it happening, personally.

Actually, Kevin Yee broke the story about a month ago on MiceChat.com.

See http://miceage.micechat.com/kevinyee/ky061008a.htm

Kevin stated that this is a contingency plan if things get too bad. It's not a firm plan.

Keep in mind the Kevin also broke news about the Western Gateway development project (now Flamingo Crossings) before anyone else reported it. So Kevin seems to have some good inside sources.

She told me that coming in a few months AK and DHS will be closed certain days of the week due to budget cuts and other financial things.

Most likely, theemster's sister (a Cast Member) read it in Kevin's column or heard it from someone who had read the column. Regular WDW Cast Members are not "in the loop" regarding contingency business plans.

Based on how Kevin reported it, it would be more accurate to say it might happen rather than it will happen.

 

[mitros]

You know what? I really don't believe that Disney will suffer any kind of a major "slowdown" after the holidays. They will have their normal "off-time" in January, then things will go right back to the crowds in February. We have been making far less trips in recent times because of the unprecedented mobs. Living as close as we do, we would go every single month except July, use our DVC membership to make 2 day mini-vacations, as well as day trips. Now, with the amount of bodies on property, and the difficulty of making dining reservations because of these crowds and the various dining programs, as well as the huge influx of overseas visitors, it is just not worth it to us anymore.

And thank God we didn't fall for the "buy-more-points-at-DVC-trick" because we never would use them. Our 325 points are FAR more than we need under current conditions on property

WDW is NOT going to close anything. The crowds will continue, and we will continue to not go until if, and when, things settle down. If things ever do slow down, then Disney may finally remember us Florida residents, and at last offer us some decent deals. In the mean time, we will visit many of the other great places here in Florida. Let the mobs have WDW for now........ If I knew how, I would change my tag to 86 miles from the mobs.